Illustrations of

of inter

VIII.

business then under transaction into opposed business;1 Chapter
as his interference brings into force the provisions of the
standing order. The Speaker therefore proceeds to adjourn
the debate, or in committee the chairman proceeds to leave
the chair to make his report to the house; 2 and the conse-
quent interruption of business is inevitable, unless there-
upon closure be moved, pursuant to paragraph 4 of standing
order No. 1 (see p. 224).

The practice of completing business begun before the
procedure fixed hour by putting successively all questions pending at
at moment the moment of interruption, is best elucidated by examples.
ruption. Unopposed business after moment of interruption.-The
first examples will show the practice of the house regarding
questions put from the chair after the time prescribed for
the interruption of business, or for the adjournment of the
Procedure house, when neither objection is taken to further proceed-
ing, nor closure moved. (1) A division was in progress,
pleted
questions. at the time fixed for the adjournment of the house, on an

on com

amendment to the main question to leave out therefrom all
the words after the first word, "That," in order to add other
words. The question, that the words proposed to be left
out stand part of the question, was negatived; and then the
questions for the addition of the words of the amendment, and
the main question, so amended, were successively put from
the chair. (2) A division was in progress, at the time
fixed for the interruption of business, on the question that
the word "now" should stand part of the question for the
second reading of a bill. The question upon the word
"now" was negatived; the words, "upon this day six
months," were added: the main question so amended was
agreed to, and the bill was put off for six months.1 (3)
When a division on an instruction to a committee on a
bill was continued until after the time fixed for the

To create an interruption of business, a motion to adjourn the debate is out of order, Tuesday, 14th May, 1889. Mr. Speaker's ruling not reported.

2 Criminal Law Amendment (Ire

land) Bill, 18th May, 1887, 315 H. D.
3 s. 488; 142 C. J. 249; 29th March,
1892, 147 ib. 141.

3 144 ib. 180.

132 ib. 111; 233 H. D. 3 s. 306.

VIII.

Chapter interruption of business, and notice of another instruction stood upon the paper, which was out of order, the Speaker, having pointed out the informality of that notice, left the chair forthwith, under standing order No. 51, stating that he did so in order to complete the business begun before the time fixed for the interruption of business.1 (4) The division upon the question for the Speaker's leaving the chair on first going into committee. on the army estimates was not concluded until after the time fixed for the interruption of business. As the question was decided in the affirmative, the Speaker left the chair for the committee, and the chairman reported progress immediately.2

Formal

motions, see p. 215.

on ques.

Opposed business after the moment of interruption.— Examples shall now be given of the adjournment of further proceedings, upon objection taken, the time prescribed for the transaction of opposed business having elapsed, and when the right to move closure at the moment of the interruption of business, was not exercised. (1) For Procedure instance, if the question decided after the prescribed time tions not completed. be that a bill be now read the second time, the bill is committed to a committee of the whole house, or, on the motion of the member in charge of the bill, to a standing or select committee; but, in the latter case, as reference to a standing or select committee is not the ordinary form of motion, on such an occasion, if objection were taken, or debate arose thereon, the Speaker would interrupt the business and declare that the debate stood adjourned.3 (2) When to the question that a bill be read a second time, an amendment was moved to leave out those words, and to substitute, instead, a statement urging reasons why the bill should not be read a second time, and the house had decided that the words proposed to be left out should not

13 Parl. Deb. 4 s. 669, 147 C. J. 154; see also 152 C. J. 83.

2 159 ib. 71.

3 22nd May, 1889, 336 H. D. 3 s. 767; 28th March, 1892, 147 C. J. 138; 157 ib. 140; 159 ib. 79. Closure

might be moved on this interrup-
tion;
but the propriety of the mo-
tion, and the probability of the
Speaker's withholding his assent,
would depend on the character of
the opposition.

When the

VIII.

stand part of the question, the question for the addition of Chapter
the words of the amendment was proposed from the chair:
but, as the hour for interruption was passed, and objection
was taken to the proceeding, the debate was immediately
adjourned.1 (3) Again, on the consideration of a bill on
report, when a division on the second reading of a new
clause was concluded after the hour fixed for the inter-
ruption of business, the Speaker announced that if no
amendments were offered, he would put the question,
"That the clause be added to the bill:" but on a member
intimating that he had an amendment to offer, the Speaker
adjourned further proceedings on the clause, and the c ́n-
sideration of the bill was appointed for the morrow.2

Closure at moment of interruption.-It now remains to
interrup.
tion arises. explain the manner in which, under paragraph 4 of stand-
ing order No. 1, closure may be moved at the moment for
the interruption of business. Under ordinary circum-
stances, on the fixed hour being reached, the Speaker or
chairman says, "Order, order," and proceeds to interrupt
the business. The Speaker announces that the debate
stands adjourned, and the chairman proceeds to leave
the chair to make his report to the house. These pro-
ceedings on the part of the Speaker and the chairman
create the moment of the interruption of business, when
closure may be moved.

Interruption at

close of a division.

The moment for the interruption of business is, however, as has been mentioned on p. 221, projected forward beyond the hour fixed by the standing orders, if the house at that hour is engaged in a division. Therefore the Speaker, or the chairman if the house is in committee, after the question thereby decided has been put, continues the proposal of such further questions as are necessary to complete the proceeding, until a member rises to speak, or says, “I object to further proceedings." It is then that the moment for the interruption of business arrives, and that the closure motion may be moved. For instance, in the committee

VIII.

Chapter of supply the proceedings on a division to decide the question
for the reduction of a grant were not completed until after
the time fixed for the interruption of business; the chairman
thereupon proposed the original question, namely, the grant
itself: but as a member offered to speak thereto, the chair-
man was proceeding to interrupt the business, when closure
was moved, and carried: the original question was put
accordingly; and the chairman left the chair to report the
resolution to the house. Again, on consideration of a bill on
report the division on an amendment proposed to clause 1
was not concluded until after the time fixed for the interrup-
tion of business. At the conclusion of the division the
Speaker proceeded to interrupt the business when a member
moved, "That the question, 'That clause 1 stand part of the
bill,' be now put." The closure motion and the question con-
sequent thereon were carried, after which further proceeding
on consideration of the bill as amended stood adjourned.2
Questions claimed under a previous closure motion.-As has Closure
been explained on p. 219, after a closure motion has been further
moved and acted upon, any member may claim that such questions.
further questions be put forthwith as are requisite to bring

to a decision the question already proposed from the chair,
no second closure motion being necessary. In that case,

8

unless the assent of the chair be withheld, the Speaker, or
the chairman of ways and means, puts seriatim each such
question forthwith, regardless of the fact that the hour for
the interruption of business is overpast.

claimed on

tions of

closure.

Of this procedure the following examples may be given. Illustra (1) When a resolution reported from a committee was under claim of the consideration of the house, and an amendment thereto had been negatived upon a closure motion, the question, "That this house doth agree with the committee in the said

1 31st May, 1888, 326 H. D. 3 s. 872; see also ib. 999; 14th Nov. 1888, 330 ib. 1217; 6th and 8th Aug. 1889, 339 ib. 711. 800; 3rd May, 1901, 93 Parl. Deb. 4 s. 713.

2 24th June, 1896, 42 Parl. Deb. 4 s. 47. For similar procedure in

P.

committee on a bill, see 8th July,
1902, 110 ib. 1181.

3 10th Dec. 1888, 331 H. D. 3 s.
1703; 6th March, 1889, 333 ib. 1101;
13th May, 1892, 147 C. J. 249; 24th
Feb. 1904, 130 Parl. Deb. 4 s. 869.

Q

Pending questions

adjourn

ment.

VIII.

resolution," was claimed and put accordingly.1 (2) When Chapter
a closure motion had been carried which disposed of an
amendment to an amendment, first the question on the
amendment itself, and then on the main question, were
forthwith claimed, and decided by the house.2 (3) When
the house had negatived the question for the Speaker's
leaving the chair, for the committee of supply, upon the con-
sequent question that the words proposed by way of amend-
ment to the main question be there added, closure was
moved and acted upon; the words were added; and then
closure on the main question, so amended, was claimed,
and put from the chair.3

The practice regarding pending questions and closure at time for procedure, which may be enforced at the moment of the interruption of business, is, if need be, equally applicable when the moment is reached for the adjournment of the Procedure house, as fixed by the standing orders. Procedure in a committee of the whole house regarding questions pending at the moment of interruption, follows the procedure of the house, including the power of moving closure on the interruption of business.1

in com

mittee.

Adjourn

ment on

Monday,

Wednes

day, and Thursday.

The adjournment of the house. -Pursuant to standing order No. 1, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Tuesday, Thursdays, the house, if not previously adjourned, sits till half-past eleven o'clock, unless a bill or proceeding exempted from the operation of the standing order (see p. 216) be at that moment under consideration.5 In such a case the Speaker does not quit the chair until Adjourn the exempted business is concluded, after which the unexempted opposed business that stands upon the notice paper is disposed of, under the conditions imposed by standing order No. 1 on business taken after eleven o'clock (see p. 214); Orders of

ment after

business.

1 25th July, 1890, 145 C. J. 512; 2nd Aug. 1901, 156 ib. 369; 98 Parl. Deb. 4 s. 1212; 25th July, 1905, 160 C. J. 353.

27th and 28th April, 1892, 147 ib. 166. 196.

3 13th May, 1892, 147 ib. 249.

the day unread,

Naval Defences, 1st April, 1889, see p. 262. 144 ib. 102.

Unless a notice of motion so exempted has been reached at halfpast eleven o'clock, the Speaker thereupon adjourns the house.